Many of you remember back in 07 when I started making the one seal in the engine compartment above the engine and transmission.
I had no intention of ever making this a business.

One guy in a garage, messing around with a father son build, needing a part.

I have had my growing pains and moving out of my garage into a larger shop and then into another shop, and finally we just doubled our footprint.

I have a day job that I will more than likely never leave, and so I brought my brother in to help help manage it. We soon realized it's not just the day to day operations, but putting a real accounting system in place (1st step), and then integrating the accounting into the back end of the website. We have the 1st step pretty much wrapped up, and this summer we will be rolling out the new site. This is why we haven't updated it.

Customer communications has been an issue we now have an 855 number (855-914Guys), it's monitored. I'd like to be able to have someone just answering phones, but we all still wear a few different hats. To that effect, a few of you may have spoke with my new guy Scott. I have known Scott for over 17 years, in fact we have been neighbors that long. Scott left his career as a operations manager for a fast food chain that he has worked at for 30 years.

He's my go to guy managing the shop and shipping full time. This is really what we needed to have the capacity to make the parts you need, and actually resemble a business. It does come at a cost, I will have some modest price increases (@5%) as I bring the additional costs into the mix. I'd like to think that I have caused other vendors to reduce prices in the 914 world by offering options, and quality. It's not just about price, but I remember in 87 buying a set of vertical targa seals for $150. Now they are about 1/4 of that.

This is necessary in that it will allow me to do what I love to do best, and faster. You may have noticed I have a few GB's open now. Some of these have been on my plate for awhile and I'm getting them caught up. I also have 2 really big projects that will be coming together over the summer. As usual, I will keep you all posted.


So I just wanted to thank you all for your support.

See a few of you at WCR !

I'm very proud of you for what you have done for this community! Get back and design that adjustable vent window!

Mark,

Keep up the good work and know you have the support of 914World as buyers and friends.

Cheers!

Like

I think Catherine's window of opportunity just closed...

LOL absolutely!

This is great news. Love your stuff - my latest order just arrived yesterday. I could not have reassembled my 914 without your efforts!

Mark, thank you!

I just rec'd my turn signal signal and rear light body seals. I was so impressed by how nicely it was packaged/labelled. Looks like it went through a muti-million dollar packaging machine...

Best customer service over the years. Had one hick-up in the past you made it 100% right and then some.

looking forward to the bright future of 914rubber.

Don't tell Scott and Blake they'll want a raise
Seriously, packaging and part identification should be pretty standard now.

I have basically everything they make on my car after placing a $2K order. No complaints, awesome products.

Yah, but what are you giving away if 100 of us like you on Facebook?

Mark,
You are an awesome guy and a treasure to this community. I work a full-time job not nearly as hectic as yours and I cannot for the life of me figure out how you're able to not only fill orders but continue to R&D new components, all the while keeping the quality so far above anything else out there.

I for one am grateful your prices are so low, but I feel like even a 5% increase really doesn't do it. You deserve whatever you ask for the service you provide us, and I be most people would gladly pay it.

We are working on a facebook promotion program, but it will tie into the new site also. So stay tuned, someone mentioned we were about to explode, well.. kind of feels like we are ramping up for a run at the next level.

911 parts. Please!

Me...and I think 914Rubber is a powerhouse. Could be even and I assume will be soon, even bigger and more successful.

Have a good web designer/SEO/branding person helping you out?

It's amazing how a well thought out website can boost sales/visibility.

My wife wonders why I'm spending all my money at "that rubber place"
Good to hear you are doing well and expanding. Now get on to that part ontop of the aluminium door rail!

I've bought from 914Rubber several times and never been disappointed. You guys do a great job!!! Glad you're here!

I am Marks brother, Matt. I would like to say thank you to all of you for your awesome support.

Growing up, Mark was always the guy working on a 914 or 912. I was not as mechanically inclined. Coming in to this, there has been soooo much to learn.. Most of the time has felt like drinking from a fire hose. I didn't understand the draw of what Mark was doing until I got involved with helping out. Now I have 2 914 project cars and I get it.

What I have learned so far:

1. 914 owners are a very unique group of people. Most will give the shirt off of their own back to help out another owner.

2. It is great to get to get a chance to be creative and make things that people seem to really appreciate.

3. We get to learn something new everyday and everyday we try get a little bit better.

4. 914 rallies are a blast. (WCR 2015, Okteenerfest 2015 so far..) Looking forward to more this year.

5. I don't think Mark has ever seen a part he didn't want to make

We both believe in the same philosophy of do the best you can, treat people the way you want to be treated and make the parts you want to put on your car. "Work on your Carma"

We have some really exciting projects in the works and this is starting to get really exciting. What I am interested is what you want 914rubber's future to look like.

i am a bit newer to the community ...
without this forum and 914 Rubber my car wouldn't even be running .

I have been in many different car and motorcycle circles (race bikes and my dad started PCA ... member #15) the 914 crowd and 914 rubber are just on a different level to any experience have ever had.

Thanks ... and best to you.

PS my next order list is just about ready

We have actually narrowed it down and will be making a selection soon. We were very much aware that we needed to put more infrastructure in place to handle what we plan to do with the site and be able to grow efficiently.

We are a finite market and we have seen the big boys lay down cheap parts into our market. These are being sold through other vendors even a big one that we all have a love / hate relationship with. This was a very bizarre development for those of you that followed it. Made me wake up and decide to kick this into high gear.

It may be somewhat like what's happening in our economy now. "Walmart" decided to come into our market, the real question is can I be Costco?

NO NO! Not Costco. Brother, you're already Nieman Marcus. What you want to do now is add to your offerings like an early 20th century Sears, Roebuck & Co.

You already have more than rubber stuff available (so a change in name might be in order). Bows the time to start smacking around the next level guys like Sierra Madre, etc.

Keep up the great work!

Very interesting the difference between the two threads. First the very famous Catherine put up you're dukes and fight you'll probably lose thread, versus 914Miky with a smile, hand shake and here's my new update on an already favorite! Thank you Mark and company, ah so sorry George and Catherine retirement is in order!

Mark my only complaint with you is that I can't keep up with your production and GBs! You're making parts faster than I can buy and I just love it. Thanks for caring so much because I don't think having a 914 would be as much fun if you were not in business.

Look familiar?

Keep up the great work!
The 914 will ALWAYS be the Poor Man's Porsche and I hope there will ALWAYS be a Whitesell family member I can buy parts from for relatively inexpensive prices
Seeing the 911 stuff is scary because their stuff is "next-level" expensive. As a business you should go to where the margins are, but then I think of Jake who is all but gone from 914 World working on more modern and profitable angles. Don't do that!!

BTW - I still have the extra 1.7 TPS board you sent me for testing and I need to send it back!!

Speaking of growth... with all that 914Rubber makes, and all that Restoration Design makes... perhaps there is some sort of partnership somewhere down the road?

I just received my panels from restoration design. They are by far the best repro panels i've ever used.

I have a much bigger shopping list for more parts and most will come from 914 rubber ( so long as postage to uk isn't an issue)

If they are as good as people say they are, i'm sure they are, then any potential joint enterprise with resto design would make for one hell of a high standard for others fall down in their shadow.

This tie up would be beneficial to european customers also as resto design have a dealer based in holland which cuts down on the extortionate import/shipping costs.

Either way i will compile a list shortly and send it over to the guys at 914 rubber.

You will not be sorry!

Awesome as always!

We do currently make quite a few 911, and 356 parts, as well as a few 944 and boxtter parts. We just have most under contract with other vendors, so we can not sell directly. We do have some parts like the ones above. That we do not and have done on spec. Those we can sell.

Hey Mark

Thank you for all your hard work and for someone like me who really has to decided between new parts or buying new work shoes (you know which I will choose each and every time) I really appreciate the fact your prices are reasonable not to mention the fact that you are making parts that are hard find..

I am really glad I found your sigh and you have been making working on my car a real joy...

-jp-